When should static_cast, dynamic_cast and reinterpret_cast be used?

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It is able to do the reverse of what an implicit conversion can do. Meaning: narrow (long -&gt; int), widen (int -&gt; long), base-to-derived, void*-to-T* for example. You can't use it for the stuff that an reversed implicit conversion cannot do. (I.e you cannot cast an int* into int).


It is used to cast a base pointer into a derived pointer. If the base pointer doesn't point to an object of the type of the derived, it returns 0.
It is used to cast a base reference into a derived reference. If the reference isn't pointing to an object of the derived, it throws std::bad_cast.
It can be considered the checked cast equivalent to static_cast, in that it checks whether the object pointed to really is of the derived type.


It is used to cast a pointer type to a wide enough integral type and back to the original pointer type.
It is used to cast between pointer types of incompatible types (int* to double* for example). The result of that mapping is unspecified, but it's possible to do so.


It is used to cast away const or volatile. It is used in the rare cases when you have a originally non-const object, which is pointed to by a pointer-to-const or referenced to by a reference-to-const. Casting away constness is considered evil and should not be done if it can be avoided.

Use dynamic_cast for converting pointers/references within an inheritance hierarchy.

Use static_cast for ordinary type conversions.

Use reinterpret_cast for low-level reinterpreting of bit patterns. Use with extreme caution.

Use const_cast for casting away const/volatile. Avoid this unless you are stuck using a const-incorrect API.